Armour Collection B11E762 Bulgarian Air Force Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 17F "Fresco C" Fighter - 'Red 69' (1:48 Scale)"My God, we simply have to figure a way out of this situation. There's no point in talking about 'winning' a nuclear war."- President Dwight D. Eisenhower

The prototype of the MiG-17 was a conversion of an older MiG-15 airframe. This prototype had a thinner wing that incorporated a mid-span bend in the leading edge. The prototype also had a longer fuselage and a larger vertical fin than the older MiG-15. In August 1951, with its test program completed, the aircraft was ordered into mass production and designated the MiG-17 (called the "Fresco" by NATO). The first MiG-17F (known as the "Fresco C") rolled off production lines in the spring of 1953. Not surprisingly, the MiG-17F was the most widely produced variant of the MiG-17. The main difference between the MiG-17 Fresco A and the later MiG-17F was the power plant. The MiG-17F used the more powerful VK-1 F after-burning turbojet which provided a substantial increase in power for takeoff and combat maneuvering over the older Fresco A model (the "F" in MiG-17F stands for Forsirovannyy, meaning "boosted").

Although it did not see combat in Korea, the MiG-17 saw extensive action in the Arab-Israeli Wars and in a wide variety of other Third World conflicts. In 1958, Communist Chinese produced MiG-17Fs (designated the F-5) destroyed two Republic F-84G Thunderjets and six North American F-86A Sabres flown by Nationalist Chinese pilots. However, the MiG-17F's most visible role came during the Vietnam War. The MiG-17 proved the continued worth of automatic cannons in an era of advanced air-to-air missiles. The North Vietnamese Air Force's leading ace and MiG-17 pilot, Col. Toon, was credited with destroying 13 American aircraft before being shot down in 1972 by a US Navy F-4J Phantom II. American flight crews repeatedly stated they feared the North Vietnam's elderly MiG-17s far more than the newer, faster and missile armed MiG-21 Fishbeds

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Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a Bulgarian MiG-17F "Fresco-C" fighter.
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Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9.5 inches
Length: 9.5 inches

Release Date: March 2008

Historical Account: "Bad Times" - After the end of the Cold War, Bulgaria's air force was limited to 226 aircraft. A large number of early MiG-21 variants were withdrawn from service and were cut up for scrap. Moreover, the armament from the trainers for the MiG-21 and MiG-23 was removed. In 1998, four air bases were closed down: Gabrovnitsa, Balchick, Uzundzhovo and Shtraklevo. Two years later, the Stara Zagora (operating Mi-24s) air force base was closed. In 2001, three more base were closed down: Dobrich, Ravnets and Cheshnegirovo. In 2003, Dobroslavtsi was closed down and the MiG-23s were withdrawn from service after it was concluded that it was more expensive to run the more modern MiG-23s than the MiG-21. In February 2004, the Su-22s which were stationed first in Dobrich then in Bezmer, were withdrawn.